.308 win question.

[Muddy05]

What is the largest North American game the .308 win. will take? I have a new Remington 750 woodsmaster carbine(bought it for deer in Alabama) and am wondering what it's capabilities are for larger game. Thanks guys!

[Idaho_Hick]

A good hunter and rifleman should be able to take anything in North America, but I wouldn't willingly tackle a brownie with one.
Modern factory loads surpass original '06 loads, which were once considered adequate for everything.

[Don Fischer]

I have had several 308 Win's and theres little that I wouldn't take on with it and the proper bullet. I'm not saying it's a dangerious game cartridge but the right bullet in the right spot from the right angle will stop anything in North America.

I find it strange that some people find certain handguns adequate for Brown Bears, even bows, but for rifles the choice goes way up. I lived several years about 10 mi north of Wasilla, Ak about 5 mi in. Tracked aroung up there a lot too, all the way to Prudoe Bay. I had a 338 Win Mag but always carried my Rem Mod 600 in 308 Win. It handled lot's better and loaded with 180 gr bullets, I had every confidence in it. Of course I shot that thing a great deal and killed a lot of animals with it from deer to elk.

[Coyote Hunter]

I have had several 308 Win's and theres little that I wouldn't take on with it and the proper bullet. I'm not saying it's a dangerious game cartridge but the right bullet in the right spot from the right angle will stop anything in North America.

... Of course I shot that thing a great deal and killed a lot of animals with it from deer to elk.

Pretty well sums it up.  The right bullet in the right place makes a lot possible.  Got my first .308 Win last Christmas and wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk.  Got my .300 Win Mag two years ago and the first loads I worked up for it were .308 equivalents.

If I ever go Big Bear hunting, though, I'm going to use the trip as an excuse to get a .338 or .375.

[Larry Gibson]

A good hunter and rifleman should be able to take anything in North America, but I wouldn't willingly tackle a brownie with one.
Modern factory loads surpass original '06 loads, which were once considered adequate for everything.

Diito on Don Fischer and Coyote Hunter said. Use a proper bullet/load and understand the range capabilities of your rifle with that load and you'll have no problems with a .308.

Larry Gibson

[Cappy]

I've taken a few elk and moose with my .308. Used to load 165gr partitions and have no problem. I good friend of mine just used his back in January to take a nice sized woods buffalo. Likes its' been said I wouldn't use it for brown/grizzly bears.

[sniperVLS]

I find it strange that some people find certain handguns adequate for Brown Bears, even bows, but for rifles the choice goes way up.

yeah odd isn't it?

My Uncle is one of those people, wants to hunt everything with his Smith .500 revolver, but when I mention using my .308, he tells me I should rethink my decision  :roll:

[DavOh]

My beat up old Remington 788 in .308w would be my first choice for anything on the North American Continent. (And most anything anywhere else)

However, I have to say that a 500S&W(or the like) in a double action revolver would be a necessity if one of those big brownies or gizzlies came my way in a hurry.  :eek:   :-D

[1armoured]

For North American thin-skinned game,  the .308 should be adequate,
with the right bullet and weight.

30-06 would be a bit better choice in .30cal with 220grs on Elk/Moose/Caribou.

It's not a 'dangerous game' calibre, so I wouldn't start messing with any 'Bars',
or anything that can bite or shoot back !!!

Sean in 'Godzone'

[Don Fischer]

I've taken a few elk and moose with my .308. Used to load 165gr partitions and have no problem. I good friend of mine just used his back in January to take a nice sized woods buffalo. Likes its' been said I wouldn't use it for brown/grizzly bears.

I just got back from a quick trip to Fairbanks, Alaska and saw some Woods Buffalo for the first time. WOW :eek:  :eek:  :eek:  :eek: I'd heard of how big they were and the first I saw was a cow. Big deal I thought. Then I found two bull's. :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: Those things had to go 1800# or better! Got a few photo's of them but couldn't get anything next to them to show how big they really are. My best guess is that if a Grizzly bear attacked one, the Buffalo would mistake it for a back rub!

[Sourdough]

We are trying to get a project togeather to re-release Wood Bison in the Yukon Flats, and several other areas of the state.  The biologist tell us that the Wood Bison has no natural enimies or preditors due to it's size.  They are too big for anything in Alaska to mess with.  Yes a Grizzly could easily kill a calf, but they have to get around Mama first.  That's not likely to happen.  The Wood Bison is much larger than the Plains Bison that everyone is used to seeing.  

Here in Alaska we have free ranging Plains Bison, (Buffalo) The state has minimum ballistics that can be used for hunting Buffalo.  The .308 Win does not qualify, 30-06 just bearly.    Saw a fellow try and take a small Moose last year with his Whitetail gun, a Remington in .308 Win.  It took seven shots for him to drop the Moose, and this was a small one.  He claims to be a great Whitetail hunter that kills five or six Whitetail a year by hunting in Verginia, Maryland, and North Carolina.  Yet the Collins twins use a .308 every year to take their Moose.  The differance is that Jullie and Micky Collins know how to get close and place the shot.  Sometimes the Moose drops on the spot, other times they just sit back and quitely wait for the big fellow to drop, with out spooking him out of the territory.  

If hunting in the lower 48 states, the .308 is adiquate for everything.  In my openion a little light for Elk, but adiquate.  For Alaska leave it home!  Yes it can easily kill Caribou, Black Bear, Musk-Ox, and Black Tail Deer.  But it is too light for Moose, or Grizzlies.  And deffinately not adiquate for Brown Bears.  Forget about Bison.